Fort Worth weekly gazette. [volume] (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1882-1891, 1887-06-24

| him that she fancied she had heard sin
gular noise in the next room. This room
was occupied by Mrs. Werkle's mother,
an old and bedridden woman of somewhat
shaky mental condition. Werkle was on
the point of going into the room to inves-
tigate the matter, when suddenly, quietly
and without warning the door into the
passage was opened and half dozen or
more strange figures crowded into the
| little apartment.
Strange they were, and appalling like
wise; for every one of them was furnished
with q hideous black mask which COM
pletely concealed his features. For the
rest, their attire was devoid of any notice
able features; but they were all armed,
and their demeanor showed that their re-
volvers were not intended for show mere
! ". All wore rubber shoes on their feet
! to render their tread noiseless. The jan
itor and his wife stared st them in voice
less CONSERVATION, nor did the intruders
speak for a few moments.
But presently one among them pushed
| bis way to the front. He was trihe IN
der the average height, but of broad and
massive build. His eyes sparkled through
the holes cut in his black mask. He ad
dressed the janitor in low but peremp-
tory voice, demanding the instant pro-
| duction of the keys OF the bank.
The unhappy janitor tried to eyade the
demand, and his wife emitted futile
scream. Instantly the muzzles of the re-
volvers were planted against their heads
and they were sternly assured that the
slightest attempt to cry out or resist
would be punished by instant death. At
the same time two of the masked men
-
others went into the inner room to per-
form like Office for her mother. 1t was
plain, from all their movements, that they
were perfectly familiar with sll the an
itor's domestic arrangements and habits.
1t was plain, too, that they were in deadly
earnest, and would put up with no
trifing.
This was e situation to be faced by
hero, but not by such person as Louis
Werkle, and when the cold muzzle of the
revolver touched his temple he sucCumbed
and indicated where the keys might be
found. But he ventured to observe that
The key would be of no avail without
knowledge OF the way the knob should be
turned, which was something that could
not be impaired by description.
The leader replied CURLY that the turn
ing of the knob need give Mr.. Werkle no
uneasiness, for that was detail which
had already been mastered; but he added
that he must require the janitor to repeat
to him the combination. Upon Werkle's
protesting that he did not have it, he was
told that he was known to open the vault
with it every morning, end was further
reminded that delay or prevarication
meant death.
In fsltering voice the janitor gave the
three numbers of the combination.
The leader did not seem satisfied. He
made his victim repeat the numbers, and
then told him that there must be one
more, as the lock was q four-Wheeled one.
Werkle assured him that he had given
him all there was, and the poor Victims
obvious terror and CHASTITY apprehension
were more convincing than any words
that he was telling the truth. The man
finally departed, therefore, after assuring
Werkle that his life depended on his
having given the numbers correctly, and
directing the two guards whom he left in
the room to kill the whole family at the
slightest symptom of any attempt to
make a noise The two guards,
still masked gagged the JAM
tor and handkuffed him and then
waited grimly, with their revolvers in
their hands, for what seemed to the vic
tins an unfortunately long time. In fact,
it was about two hours and a half, but
during that period Werkle, in addition TO
his physical discomfort, which was MOI
small, and the sight of the black masks
and the cleaning revolvers, which was
not reassuring, was given the choice Of
but two subjects of thought; the first
being that he might suffer a violent
death at any moment, and the other that,
in case he escaped, the bank which it was
his duty to guard would have been rified
and he himself would be among the first
to be suspected of collusi,n.
At length, however, the long suspense,
which was perhaps the worst thing to
endure OF all, came to an end, and the
guards withdrew, with parting caution
of very blood-curdling kind. The
Wtrkle family were once more left to
themselves. For several minutes they
were afraid 10 stir, lest the terrible
masked gang should return; but. finally
the isnitor succeeded in getting the,
sitting gag out of his mouth, and then,
with the manacles still on his wrists, he
made his way down stairs and round to
his friend Kohlmsn's shop, as we have
already seen,
Such was Werkle's story, as listened to
by Kohlman and the unknown gentleman,
who mad dropped in by accident. 1t was
not, in itself, an altogether probable tale,
and the gentleman's countenance, when
it had been told, seemed to express as
much. AS for HOFFMAN, he was too much
bewildered to have any opinion at all;
and he accepted the gentleman's sugges-
ton that the police had better be sent for
with alacrity. 1t was desirable to make
it clear that, at all events, the barber had
nothing to do with the affair or was in
any way concerned to shield the janitor,
1t is al very well to be friendly with q
man, but when your friend falls under
any sort of suspicion the proper thing TO
do is to leave him to mis- fate until the
suspicion is removed.
Animated by these prudent sentiments,
Mr.. Kohlmsn left his shop and ran up
the steps, and in the first place, csst94
glance through the bank window n the
direction of the vault. Its massive doors
were open, and there weresbminoGs
signs of disorder within. This discovery
stimulated him to immediate action; snd
catching sight Of policeman on the cor
ner of the street opposite, he siEnalle6 70
him with vigorous gestures to approaGd
The policeman came, but wheRSEohln1ah !
returned with him TO the shop Werkie !
was there alone. The unknown Egentie-
man with the amethyst rings and the
watch chain had apparently got tired Of
waiting to be shaved and had taken his
departure. =
On hearing Werkle's story, and seeing
the condition. Of the bank, the policeman
took the jsnItpr into custody, and seat g
messenger td the police station, which